The present invention relates to storage/utility beds for vehicles, such as pickup trucks, particularly to a hidden storage bed assembly method for such vehicles, and more particularly to a modular fabrication method for assembling hidden storage beds without substantially altering the external appearance of the beds.
Hereinafter, the terms "hidden storage bed (or system)", "modified vehicle bed", "modified bed", "bed with hidden storage", and "storage bed", as they pertain to applicants invention, are all used interchangeably throughout the specification. Also, the terms "sidepanel" and "modified side panel", as they pertain to applicants invention, are used interchangeably throughout the application.
Pickup and small trucks have long been a means for transporting and/or storing tools, materials, etc. for various trades, such as plumbing, electrical, construction, repair, etc. While conventional tool boxes, which generally extend across the pickup bed, are a convenient tool storage approach, such take up a great deal of space and thus reduce the carrying capacity. Also, the conventional pickup beds have been removed and replaced with utility type beds of various types, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,773 issued Dec. 7, 1993 to G. Kalis, Jr. et al. In addition, the pick-up truck body and/or beds have been modified to provide storage/utility space, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,430 issued Apr. 17, 1990 to M. A. Lawrence.
While these prior storage/utility arrangements have been satisfactory for their intended purpose, such are an attraction for theft as well as having an appearance of a utility bed. Thus, there has been a need for a storage system for pickup truck beds which does not alter the bed's external appearance or significantly reduce the interior size of the bed, thereby reducing the tool theft problem while providing space for hidden storage without significant reduction of the bed's carrying capacity.
This need has been filled by the invention described and claimed in above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,000, which involves the conversion or assembly of a conventional pickup truck bed into a storage/utility bed without altering the external appearance of the bed and without significant reduction in the carrying capacity thereof. This is accomplished by providing storage adjacent the wheel well area, and along the length of the bed, and providing the fender/side panel of the bed with a hinge and latch arrangement whereby the fender/sidle panel can be raised to expose the storage area, or closed and latched to conceal the storage area. Thus, the pickup can be used for pleasure or work without the appearance of its storage/utility capability, and can be parked in areas where theft would likely occur from conventional tool boxes or utility beds. Also, copending, U.S. application Ser. No. 08/896,392, filed Jul. 18, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,973, entitled Hidden Storage/Utility System and Fabrication Thereof, describes and claims modifications of the hidden storage arrangement of above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,000.
Methods have been developed for fabrication and assembly of the hidden storage beds, as well as for conversion of a conventional pickup bed, for example, into a hidden storage bed, and such methods, have been described and claimed in above-referenced copending Application Ser. No. 08/685,678 abandoned, The present invention provides another method of fabricating and/or assembling the hidden storage beds, and involves a modular approach to both the fabrication of components and assembly of the bed. It has been found that certain of the individual bed components can be fabricated together, thus eliminating the assembly of these components, and that sections of the bed can be fabricated or preassembled into modular components, whereby final assembly of the hidden storage bed can be carried out by modular assembly, thereby reducing costs of fabrication and/or assembly of the bed components.